It Just Gets Worse and Worse
by XrioluluX
Summary: Gary spreads harsh rumors about Dawn to everyone he knows that get worse every time he tells them. Ikarishipping. rated PG-13. PG-13.


note: the characters are about 16 years old

* * *

"Hey Dawn."

"Great. Leave me alone, Paul, I don't want to hear it." Dawn turned around so that her back was facing him.

"No, I don't believe all those rumors that Gary is spreading." He told her.

"You don't?" She turned back around.

"No." He shoved his hands in his pockets and blushed slightly, looking away. "I mean, rumors are never true, are they?"

"Yeah." She agreed. "Why are you here anyway?"

"I come here all the time. I guess the question is why are you here. I didn't think you were one to drink."

Dawn sighed. "Well I'm upset enough to actually come to a bar."

"That's surprising." Paul sat down next to her and put his glass down on the table. "But I guess those rumors would be stressful enough. Know why he is spreadin' 'em?"

She shook her head. "I guess he just doesn't like me."

"And I wonder how he thought of a rumor like that."

"I know!" Dawn slammed her glass down, suddenly getting upset. "I mean, I'm not even attracted to girls! Where would something like that _come_ from?"

"I don't know." He said, taking a sip of his beer. "But from what I've heard he put a lot of thought into it. It's pretty realistic."

"Care to tell me what you heard, Paul?"

"Sure." He put down his glass again and turned his attention to Dawn. "This is what I heard: You were at May's and her parents were out. You two were watching a movie and were on a couch. All the lights were turned off; the only light was the TV screen." He paused to take another swig.

"Great. The story changed _yet again_." Dawn began drinking from her glass as well.

"Anyway," He continued. "Since it was late at night you two were sharing a blanket. Then halfway through the movie you just lunged at her and grabbed her by the shoulders. You kissed her and fell on top of her."

"Shit. This has gotten a lot more complex than last time I was informed."

Paul let out a small chuckle. "May was too surprised to do anything wile you proceeded to feel around under her shirt."

"Yuck." Dawn continued drinking her beer.

"When you started going for her pants she had had enough. She pushed you away firmly and got out of the couch as fast as she could. She kicked you out and you walked home. That was it."

"And Gary claims he heard this from May?"

"Yes."

"Well that's sure as Hell not true! May is my friend and would never say anything like that, I'm sure of it!"

"Yeah, I didn't hear any of this from May. All of it was from Gary."

"This sucks. That never happened, I don't like May as more than a friend and I'm not lesbian."

"This is _crazy!!_" Ash yelled at his pokémon after explaining the rumor about Dawn to them. He let them all out of their pokéballs to blow some steam of on them. The pokémon decided to talk amongst themselves about it while Ash ran wild.

"I know Dawn. She wouldn't do that." Buizel informed them to start the conversation.

"I agree. It seems kinda odd." Pikachu added.

"I hope Paul doesn't believe it or else he would be crushed." Chimchar stated. "If Dawn was interested in girls that would ruin all his hopes.

"What?" Staravia questioned, as the group's attention all turned to the orange monkey.

"Back when I lived with Paul, when he wasn't training, he would talk to his pokémon about his life. Kinda like how Ash does." Chimchar began.

"No way!" Pikachu cut him off. "Paul seems like he has no heart and wouldn't talk to his pokémon like that!"

"Or have a life to talk about." Staravia added.

The group laughed before Chimchar continued. "Yeah, he hardly ever did it. But one time he let us all out and he just started talking. He was talking about Dawn. He was saying that he fell in love with her and he was pointing out what he loved about her most."

Pikachu fell flat on it's back, then got up and exclaimed: "He _loves _her?! I thought he hated everyone!"

Buizel stared at Chimchar for a while, then said "That's…that's funny because Dawn was saying some stuff about Paul once too."

"Oh?" Chimchar turned to Buizel.

"Yeah. Just saying she wished he wasn't so mean and cold all the time."

Chimchar sighed. "That could mean anything."

"Calm down, Dawn."

Dawn had started crying and Paul was trying to make her stop. She had thrown herself in his arms, and was sobbing on his shoulder. He wasn't sure as to why she was so upset. It could be because she was drunk, or she was just overly stressed.

"It's not fair!" She cried, her voice slightly slurring, if at all.

"C'mon Dawn, I don't want people to think I did something to you."

"Is this all about you, Paul? And I thought you were being nice to me? I guess you're just as cold as ever."

"This is _not _all about me!" He said, the sternness of his voice startling Dawn.

"Then be nice to me!" She cried, her arms tightening around his torso.

"Fine."

"You can start by hugging me back." She sniffed.

"Why do you want me to hug you so much?"

"I'm sobbing and stressed and need _someone_ to make me feel better! And no one else is on my side, everyone else believes the frickin rumors."

"Okay, okay, whatever." He slowly fastened his arms around her back. "That enough for you?"

"Paul."

"What?"

"I just want these rumors to go away. I know they won't, but I want them to. Will you help me stoop them?"

"What's my motivation?"

"This isn't exactly nice!" She withdrew her head from his shoulder and sat up straight, their arms still loosely around each other.

"What's my motivation?" He repeated.

Dawn stared at him for several seconds, then lunged forward, pushing her lips to his and fiercely kissing him. Surprised, his eyes widened, then eased closed as he kissed her back. When she broke away, she smiled sweetly, and said, "That's your motivation."

"Your lucky I happen to like your choice of motivation."

"So you'll go out with me?"

"Now you're pushing it."

"Will you?"

"Why not?"

"Yay!" Dawn smiled more and hugged Paul tightly.

"Now I guess the rumor will be hard to believe since we will be going out." He thought aloud.

"Yeah, your right!"

"You mean you didn't just ask me out so that people will stop listening to Gary?"

Dawn laughed. "That wasn't even on my mind!"

"So why did you ask me out, then?"

"I like you, Paul. A lot." Her voice quieted.

"I bet your expecting to hear 'I love you back'."

She blushed. "I never said 'love'!"

"But you meant it."

Dawn was surprised at how quickly Paul figured this out and stared at him. He reached out his hand and rubbed her head. "Fine. I 'like' you back."

Dawn giggled as the new couple shared another kiss.

you like? R&R please! :3


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